


Love, Pakkun (aka Shinobi Academy Lesson Plan: Strengths/Weaknesses)

by Elevensquared



Category: Naruto
Genre: Drabble, Established Relationship, Fluff, Iruka Appreciation Week, M/M, Mixed Media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-09
Updated: 2015-10-09
Packaged: 2018-04-25 13:12:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4961893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elevensquared/pseuds/Elevensquared
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iruka revises an academy lesson plan on strengths and weaknesses. 'Pakkun' is helping.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love, Pakkun (aka Shinobi Academy Lesson Plan: Strengths/Weaknesses)

"Why does it have to say 'love' Pakkun? Why can't it say 'from Pakkun' or 'Sincerely, Pakkun'?" the pug opined.  
  
"What, you don't love Iruka?", Kakashi asked, "he feeds you all his leftovers and lets you sleep on the bed."  
  
"Yeah, I mean, I like him and all, but I dunno if I LOVE him..."  
  
"It's fine, you love him."  
  
\-----------  
  
"Pakkun wanted to help"  
  
Iruka glanced up from the red handwriting marring the scroll, and a smile tugged at the edges of his lips. Kakashi was sprawled on the couch in his usual spot, sans-mask, but with his hitae-ate still covering the sharingan. He was leaned back against the arm with his feet tucked in the crack between two of the cushions. Iruka never could understand why he just didn't wear socks if his feet got cold. Instead, Kakashi would regularly run his cold toes against Iruka's calves under the blankets, or shove his feet under Iruka's thigh as they sat together.  
  
Kakashi continued to nonchalantly read his Icha Icha as if he hadn't spent the five minutes Iruka was making tea writing all over the lesson plan Iruka had just been revising.  
  
"Oh, it was 'Pakkun', was it?" Iruka glanced over at the pug, who studiously avoided Iruka's gaze. Pakkun sullenly eyed Kakashi instead, and tried to surreptitiously lick at the lingering red ink on his paw.  
  
"Well, I suppose I'll have to talk to 'Pakkun' about why I want to throw this plan out, then." Iruka sighed as he slumped back down into his spot at the table in front of the couch. He leaned back against the couch and let the scroll fall to his lap, scratching the back of his head underneath his ponytail.    
  
Iruka remembered being pleased with the lesson plan when he last taught it, but as he looked it over tonight he'd struggled with updating it for his newest class. When he started tapping his pen on the tabletop, chin in hand, glaring at the scroll, Kakashi had blandly suggested a break for a cup of tea.  
  
A break in which 'Pakkun' had decided to help with the unruly lesson plan.  
  
Kakashi dropped one leg from the couch to poke at Iruka's thigh with a bare foot. "Maa, sensei, it's a good lesson, what's wrong?"  
  
Iruka leaned his head back onto the couch cushion and rolled it sideways to gaze at Kakashi. "I was wrong about Hinata." He frowned, remembering the girl's blush as he had singled her out in class that day. "Her weakness wasn't shyness, it was self-confidence. She figured that out herself. I just..." Iruka flailed his hands a little before settling them back in his lap. "I got it so wrong. I embarrassed her, and probably compounded her insecure feelings, and the worst part is that I can't figure out how to get it right. How can a lack of self-confidence become a strength?"  
  
Kakashi lowered his book a little and glanced over the top, meeting Iruka's eyes.  
  
Iruka sat up quickly, arranging the scroll from his lap to the table and shuffling some papers. "Not that Hinata hasn't grown! She's doing so well, really, I'm very proud of her, I just... I don't know. I think that whole section of the lesson is bad. Even the part about you is bad."  
  
He reached a hand it to curl around Kakashi's ankle where the foot still rested on his thigh, thumb rubbing over the bone there in a silent apology. "A physical weakness is a fine thing to point out and overcome, but I just got done teaching them that their true strengths aren't physical. How can I turn around and talk about physical weaknesses? It doesn't make sense."  
  
Kakashi curled his toes on Iruka's thigh, grabbing the fabric of the uniform pants for a moment and then letting go.  
  
With another sigh, Iruka dropped his chin into his hand, elbow resting on the table. "I don't know if it's right of me as a teacher to try to point out my students' non-physical weaknesses. It's such a personal thing, what if I get it wrong again? What if the point is that they should figure it out for themselves anyway?" He picked up the pen and started tapping it on the table.  
  
Kakashi shifted, and Iruka's hand fell off his ankle as he sat up and slid across the cushions so that he was settled behind Iruka, with a leg on either side of the teacher's back. He leaned forward and reached beyond Iruka for the cup of tea that had been cooling on the table. He dragged the cup closer to Iruka's hand, and gently took the pen and placed it on the table top.  
  
Iruka laughed softly, reached for the teacup, and settled into the vee of Kakashi's thighs as Kakashi leaned back into the cushions. "Sorry, I don't know why this one's getting to me. Maybe because it's such a personal lesson."  
  
Kakashi reached a hand up and tugged the band off Iruka's ponytail, then ran his fingers through the fall of hair. "It's a good lesson. An important lesson." He shifted his feet to tuck his toes under Iruka's thighs. "Hinata's lack of self-confidence has led to her surrounding herself by people who she admires, people she wants to emulate. In turn those people feel a desire to be worthy of emulation. Her weakness becomes a strength when she becomes aware of the value people place on her admiration. She pushes them to grow just as much as they push her."  
  
A small huff escaped Iruka and he pressed his head back slightly as if asking for more petting. "Of course, you're so right. When she looks at you with that sweet expression and says 'I want to be as brave as you are,' it makes you want to do everything you can to be the person she sees."  
  
"Kurenai's teaching her to use that. But you're right that our deepest weaknesses are very personal. They can only really be acknowledged, not taught." Kakashi leaned forward again, his face near Iruka's ear. The hand that had been threading through Iruka's hair fell to rest at the curve of shoulder and neck, and he reached with the other and tapped at the scroll.  "I think it's enough of an example that you talk about yourself. You can encourage them to think about their own weaknesses and how to turn them into strengths." He pulled his hand back and placed it on Iruka's other shoulder and squeezed gently.  
  
Iruka hummed in appreciation and tipped his head forward as Kakashi continued the impromptu massage. "Well, and I already plan to point out some of their true strengths, and I also already pointed out, those things can just as easily become weaknesses. Naruto's tenacity can be used to distract him from the genuine target. Ino, or Konohamaru’s, leadership capabilities can turn against them if they push their followers too far."  
  
"See, you've got it. Just go talk to Tsunade tomorrow for a new quote and your lesson will be perfect." Kakashi pressed his fingers slightly harder, once, as if for emphasis, and then pulled at Iruka's shoulder. "Come up here."  
  
Obligingly, Iruka turned and clambered upward to straddle Kakashi's lap. Kakashi leaned back and Iruka tipped his face to press their foreheads together. "So, Sharingen no Kakashi, what's your true weakness?," he asked with a little smirk.  
  
The answer came quickly, and with no jest, "You are."  
  
"What!?" Iruka, startled, sat back and searched Kakashi's placid expression for an indication of his intent with such a proclamation.  
  
"Think, sensei," Kakashi tapped the other man's nose with a finger, "You said yourself, two sides of one coin. It's no secret that I care about you and that makes me, and you, vulnerable to my enemies. But in exchange I have someone waiting for me to come home safe, someone worth protecting, a reason to keep fighting."  
  
"Oh," Iruka breathed, his cheeks suddenly flushed with color.  
  
"It matters that you care."  
  
Iruka laughed, incredulously, giddily, and hid his face against the back of the couch, his arm wrapped around Kakashi's neck to pull him close. "Love, 'Pakkun', huh?"  
  
Kakashi grinned, with one arm slung around Iruka's waist and the other hand gripping his thigh. "Yeah, ‘love Pakkun’."


End file.
